Emergency altitude pressure suit



July 16, 1968 F. R. RITZINGER, JR" ET AL 3,392,405

EMERGENCY ALTITUDE PRESSURE SUIT (BOYLE'S LAW OPERATED) Filed May 15, 1967 2 Sheet s 1 Tum R z s e 0% m4 Mop wwsuree l U M WM WWMQW .L H e .5 FJJMGZ 1i 1 y 1968 F. R. RITZINGER, JR., ET AL 3,392,405

EMERGENCY ALTITUDE PRESSURE SUIT (BOYLE'S LAW OPERATED) Filed May 15, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,392,405 EMERGENCY ALTITUDE PRESSURE SUIT (BOYLES LAW OPERATED) Fredrick R. Ritzinger, Jr., Jefferson C. Davis, Henry B. Whitmore, Leonard Harris, Gerald I. Gardner, and Arnott A. Moore, Jr., San Antonio, Tex., and Joseph Boyle, Wyckolf, N .1.

Filed May 15, 1967, Ser. No. 639,930 8 Claims. (Cl. 22.1)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pressure suit havingouter porous, non-stretchable, lightweight fabric with an inner porous, stretchable, lightweight fabric forming alightweight ventilatable suit which fits the wearer comfortably in normal surrounding exterior low altitude pressures, for instance below 10,000 ft., in which the inner stretchable fabric and the outer nonstretchable fabric of the suit are secured together along predetermined spaced substantially parallel rows to provide elongated tubular passages running longitudinally in spaced relation around the arm and leg portions of the suit, and circumferentially in substantially parallel relation around the body encircling portion of the suit. Thinpressure expandable flexible rubber-like tube members are loosely fitted within the passages substantially from end to end thereof. Each tube has a predetermined small volume of air or gas sealed therein sufficient to expand the tubes automatically upon a predetermined reduction or absence of atmospheric pressure surrounding the suit and a wearer therein to force the inner loose stretchable fabric portions in the arm, leg, and body portions of the suit inwardly into tight pressure sustaining relation against outer surfaces of the arm, leg, and body portions of the wearer. This sustaining pressure is automatically relieved by a predetermined increase in exterior atmospheric pressure on the expandable tubes upon predetermined reductions in altitude and cause the suit to be again fully ventilated, loose and comfortable on the wearer.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the United States Government for governmental purposes without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

Background of the invention The invention relates to pressure suits for use in space, and more particularly to automatic pressure suits for high altitudes in space in which the suit becomes automatically pressurized at predetermined high altitudes and depressurized automatically at predetermined lower altitudes.

Summary of the invention The invention involves the employment of Boyles law, utilizing a plurality of elongated expandable pressure chambers or bladders of tubular form which are secured between the inner and outer layers of the fabric of the suit in adjacent parallel passages or in rows, in which a small predetermined quantity of an expandable gas or air is sealed in each of the tubes at normal atmospheric pressure so that as the exterior pressure decreases, with increases in altitude, the expansion of the gas trapped and sealed in the tubes expands the tubes according to Boyles law to provide increasing inward pressure of the stretchable inner layer of fabric on the outer surface of the body of the wearer of the suit.

A further object is the provision of an automatic gaseous pressure operated suit for high altitudes and in outer space in which the inner and outer fabric layers of the 3,392,405 Patented July 16, 1968 suit are both porous to provide ventilation between interi-or of the suit and wearer, and the exterior.

A further object is the provision of a pressure suit in which the outer layer of fabric is nonstretchable to prevent outward expansion of the suit under the influence of expansion of the tubes by the gas sealed therein, when the exterior atmospheric pressure is reduced to a predetermined extent, to direct the expansion of the tubes inwardly toward the interior of the body, leg and arm portions of the suit, to force the inner stretchable fabric layer of the suit inwardly toward the interior of the suit. The invention therefore comprises an automatically controlled high altitude pressure suit somprising an outer nonstretchable porous fabric, and an inner stretchable porous fabric loosely fastened within and to the outer fabric in elongated substantially parallel spaced rows or columns extending longitudinally in the arm and leg portions and circumferentially around the body portion of the suit, to provide elongated substantially tubular flat passages between the outer and inner fabric layer extending longitudinally in the arm :and leg portions, and circumferentially around the body portion. Each of the elongated tubular passages or openings loosely contain an elongated light weight expandable rubber-like bladder or somewhat flat tubular container in which a predetermined small quantity of expansible gaseous medium is sealed at normal low altitude conditions, in which gas expands under high altitude conditions, where the exterior atmospheric pressure is very low or non-existent, to cause the elongated tubular bladders to expand and fill the space between the outer nonextensible fabric and the inner stretchable fabric or liner sufiiciently to force or stretch the inner layer or liner inwardly into tight pressure supporting engagement against the exterior surface of the body of a wearer of the suit and also interrupt ventilation between the interior and exterior of the suit, and upon descent to predetermined lower altitudes where a pressure suit is no longer required, the increase in exterior atmospheric pressure entering through the porous nonstretchable outer fabric Will compress the elongated tubular bladders and the previously expanded gas therein, to permit contraction of the.

stretchable inner fabric and loosen or remove the pressure thereof on the outer surface of the wearers body. Reduction in the size of the bladders by increase in exterior pressure also permits the return of ventilation through the ventilated outer non-stretchable and inner stretchable fabrics of the suit, in through the spaces between the adjacent bladders.

Description of the drawings Other objects and advanages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures thereof.

FIGURE 1 is a front view of an emergency altitude automatic pressure suit incorporating the invention, parts of the arm, leg and body portions being broken away to show the elongated tubular passages or channels and the elongated rubber like expansible gas containing sealed tubular members loosely disposed in the passages.

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic cross section view taken about on the plane indicated by line 22 in FIGURE 1, showing the expansible tubular members in their normal expanded low altitude responsive condition, loosely disposed and almost collapsed in the elongated passages between the inner and outer porous fabrics to provide a ventilation past the tubes between the interior and exterior of the suit.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the elongated rubber like tubular members or bladders automatically expanded by the sealed gaseous medium therein, when the outside atmospheric pressure is materially reduced, or eliminated, interrupting the ventilation through the suit by completely filling the tubular passages and forcing the loose stretchable inner fabric liner inwardly into predetermined pressure supporting relation on the outer surface of arms, legs and body portions of the wearer.

FIGURE 4 is a somewhat schematic sectional view similar to FIGURE 2, but taken about on line 44 in FIGURE 1, showing the passages or channels and expansible gas containing tubes which extend around the body or trunk portion of the wearer of the suit, with the tubes substantially collapsed as in normal low altitude conditions to permit ventilation through the inner and outer porous fabric layers, between the edges of the adjacent tubes.

FIGURE is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 4, but illustrating the sealed rubber like tubes expanded by the gas therein to force the inner-fabric layer into pressure supporting relation on the surface of the body of the wearer, such as under high altitude low exterior pressure conditions where the atmospheric pressure falls below a predetermined amount or is substantially nonexistent, such as in space, showing the expansion of the bladders toward each other, to interrupt the ventilation between interior and exterior of the suit and form a thermal barrier to prevent or limit the escape of heat from the interior of the suit and body of the wearer.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to FIGURE 1 the reference numeral 1 denotes a pressure suit which is fabricated according to the invention and comprises a body or trunk portion 2 having arm portions 3 and leg portions 4. The suit is fabricated from a lightweight porous, nonstretchable outer fabric 5 and a light inner porous fabric layer or liner 6 which is stretchable, for instance like stretch nylon. The porosity of the stretchable inner fabric 6 and the outer nonstretchable material 5 normally allows ventilation through the fabrics 5 and 6 between the interior of the suit and the exterior.

- The suit 1 may be provided with a conventional front opening 7 as shown, to permit the wearer to quickly put it on or take it off. A conventional closure is provided, such as the zipper 7; also the neck opening and bead 9 are provided for securing the conventional protection oxygen helmet (not shown), which may enclose a conventional oxygen mask if desired, and ear phones of conventional construction (not shown). In actual use conventional gloves and footwear are used which may be pressurized. Since these constitute no particular part of the invention, they are not illustrated or described in any particular detail.

Obviously, the wearer dons the suit in the usual manner, zips up the front closure, secures his helmet in place in the space around the neck opening or bead 9, and secures his gloves and boots on his hands and feet. However, only the automatic pressure suit proper is shown in FIGURE 1.

The outer and inner porous fabric layers 5 and 6 of the garment are secured together by spaced columns or rows of stitching 10 and 11, or other suitable detachable means in the arm and leg portions 3 and 4 extending longitudinally to provide elongated parallel chambers or passages 12 spaced around the arm portions 3, and around the leg portions 4, as indicated at 13.

' The outer and inner layers of the body portion of the porous fabrics 5 and 6 are stitched or otherwise secured together in substantially parallel spaced rows of stitching 14 and extend around the body portion 2 of the suit between the opposite edges of the front opening 7 and also form adjacent parallel passages 15 around the body portion between the rows of stitching or seams 14.

The inner fabric 6 is stretchable transversely to the .longitudinaldirection of the seams or columns of stitching 10, 11 and 14 and may, if desired, contain much greater fullness between the rows of stitching than the outer nonstretchable fabric 5 of the suit.

However, the suit is fabricated to normally fit a particular wearer closely but fairly loose and comfortable under normal low altitude conditions.

The porosity of the inner and outer layers 5 and 6, especially at opposite sides of the rows of stitching 10, 11 and 14, provides adequate ventilation and air circulation between the interior and exterior of the garment under normal low altitude and maximum high exterior pressure conditions.

Referring to FIGURES 2 and 4, the outer surface of the body of a wearer of the suit, when worn at low altitudes (high atmospheric pressure conditions), as indicated at 16 is in suitably spaced close and comfortable relation to the inner surface of the inner stretchable fabric layer or liner 6. This spacing, as indicated at 17 in these figures, is for illustrative purposes and therefore may be considerably exaggerated. However, the suit is normally fitted for a particular wearer so as to be comfortable at altitudes where a pressure suit is not ordinarily needed.

Disposed within each of the tubular spaces or passages 12, 13 and 15 between the outer and inner fabric 5 and 6 of the suit and between the rows of stitching 10, 11 and 14, are rubber like expansible tubes 18, shown more clearly in FIGURES 2 to 5. These tubular members 18 are preferably thin, flexible, and extend from one end of each of the passages 12, 13 and 15 to the other end and preferably somewhat flattened to normally fit loosely in spaced relation, as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, to the rows of stitching 10, 11 and 14 to provide for ventilation between the exterior and interior of the suit between tubes and each side of the stitching.

The tubular members 18 each contain a predetermined small volume of expandable gas, which under normal low altitude conditions, such as on the ground, is not suificient to expand the tubes 18 sutficiently enough to fill and materially expand the passages 12, 13 and 15 sui'ficiently to materially reduce the ventilation between the interior and exterior of the suit. I

The predetermined volume of gas sealed in the expansible tubes 18 is sufficient, however, when the exterior pressure is removed or substantially reduced to a predetermined degree below 5 lbs. per square inch to expand the tubular members 18, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, to completely fill the passages and expand or stretch the inner fabric walls 6 of the passages 12, 13 and 15 inwardly into pressure supporting and confining relation on the outer surface 16 of the wearer of the suit. This expansion of the sealed rubber-like tubular members 18 and the inner fabric walls toward each other, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, constitutes means establishing an automatic thermal barrier to prevent or reduce the escape of heat from within the suit when subjected to the low temperatures and lack of exterior pressure, such as encountered in outer space.

Since the suit 1 is comfortable and ventilated, it may be worn at all times and at all altitudes, and can be easily and quickly put on, or taken off if desired, when not needed.

At low altitudes, where the outside atmosphere pressure is sufiicient to balance the initial predetermined pressure within the tubes 18 the tubes are therefore not expanded to any great extent by the volume of air or gas sealed therein, and the suit will fit the wearer very comfortably, if not loosely, and also provide adequate ventilation through the porous outer and inner fabric layers 5 and 6, between the adjacent tubes 18. As the external pressure decreases, for instance as the altitude increases at which the suit is being worn, the air or gas within the tubes 18 expands according to Boyles law and the tubes are automatically expanded to completely fill the tubular passages 12, 13 and 15 and stretch or expand the inner fabric lining 6 inwardly into supporting contact with the outer surface 16 of the wearers body.

The expansion of the tubes 18 also force the sides of the adjacent tubes and the porous inner fabric 6 between the tubes at opposite sides of the stitching toward and against each other. This closes the porous or ventilation pores in the inner fabric material, and also forms a heat barrier which automatically protects the wearer from the extreme cold of outer space.

It is contemplated that the inner fabric liner 6 may be detachably secured to the outer fabric so that the lining can be removed for cleaning. Also, the tubes 18 may be arranged to be removed and replaced if neces sary. It is also contemplated that the volume of the air or gas within the rubber like tubes 18 may be adjusted or changed to any desired predetermined volume relative to the internal capacity of the tubes 18 in their nonexpanded condition so as to be expansible to a predetermined extent, particularly transversely to the longitudinal axis of the tubes, in predetermined ratio to the reduction of atmospheric pressure on the exterior of the tubes.

Of course, a pressure or breathing helmet is necessary, which must be closed and supplied with oxygen at the higher altitudes when necessary. It is preferable to com trol the oxygen breathing pressure within the helmet to substantially equal the pressure of the expended gas in the tubes on the surface of the body of the wearer, although the pressure Within the helmet should be isolated from the interior of the suit preferably at the neck to prevent the helmet pressure from collapsing the tubes 18.

Also, if desired, the interior of the helmet (not shown) may be connected or connectable to the interior of some of the expansible tubes, particularly over the chest portion of the wearer, to facilitate easier expansion and contraction of the wearers lungs, although a separate bladder may be provided which is sealed in communication with these particular tubes over the chest portion, having a similar predetermined pressure volume therein to facilitate breathing at predetermined high altitudes and in space where a pressure suit is necessary.

For purposes of exemplification a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown .and described to the best understanding thereof. However, it will become apparent that changes and modifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereof may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

1. A high altitude automatic pressure suit having arm, leg and body enclosure portions comprising an outer nonstretchable fabric, an inner stretchable fabric liner, a plurality of elongated flexible rubber like expansible tubular members fixed in closely spaced substantialy parallel relation to each other between said outer nonstretchable fabric and said inner stretchable liner, said tubular members disposed in side by side longitudinal relation in said arm' and leg portions, and in side-'by-side relation in said body portion, said tubular member each having a small predetermined volume of expansible gaseous fluid medium sealed therein responsive to Boyles law, sufficient to expand the tubular members to force said stretchable inner fabric liner in said arm, leg and body portions of said suit inwardly into supporting relation on the outer surface of the arm, leg and body portion of a wearer of the suit upon a predetermined reduction in atmospheric pressure on the outer surface of said tubular members.

2. A high altitude pressure suit comprising an outer porous nonstretchable fabric and an inner loosely disposed stretchable liner for enclosing the arm, leg and body portions of a wearer of the suit, a plurality of elongated flexible rubber like expansible tubular members fixed between said outer fabric and said inner liner in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to each other, extending longitudinally in side by side relation in said arm and leg portions and in parallel closely spaced side by side and body portions of the wearer of the suit.

3. A pressure suit as set forth in claim 2 in which said outer nonstretchable fabric of said suit is porous and said tubular members are normally spaced away from each other in substantially parallel relation to provide ventilation betwen the adjacent tubular members and through said porous outer fabric when the exterior atmospheric pressure on the tubular members substantially balances the pressure of the expandable gaseous fluid medium within said tubular members, said tubular members being expandable toward each other upon predetermined reduction of atmospheric pressure on the exterior of the tubular members relative to the internal pressure within the tubular members to force the sides of the adjacent tubular members toward each other to interrupt ventilation through said outer fabric between the adjacent tubular members and between the interior and exterior of the suit.

4. A pressure suit as set forth in claim 3, including a flexible porous stretchable fabric liner loosely disposed within said arm, leg and body portions of said suit, inwardly of said expandable tubular members, means securing said liner to said outer nonstretchable fabric, intermediate each pair of adjacent spaced substantially parallel expandable tubular members, constituting means for holding said tubular members in predetermined closely spaced substantially parallel relation to each other within the suit.

5. A high altitude automatic pressure suit comprising an outer flexible nonstretchable fabric and an inner loosely disposed stretchable fabric liner, means securing the arm, leg and body portion of the inner fabric liner to the outer nonstretchable fabric in materially spaced rows to form elongated passages between the rows extending longitudinally in the arm and leg portions in substantially parallel uniformly spaced relation to each other around the arm and leg portions, and circumferentially in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to each other around said body position, an elongated somewhat flattened rubber like expansible tubular member loosely disposed in each of said passages extending substantially from end to end thereof in normally spaced relation at each side thereof to the adjacent rows of securing means, said elongated expansible tubular members each having a small predetermined volume of a gaseous fluid medium sealed therein responsive to Boyles law upon predetermined reduction of atmospheric pressure on the exterior of said tubular members to expand said tubular members toward each other throughout the lengths thereof to close the spaces between the adjacent tubular members and expand the tubular members inwardly in said arm, leg and body portions to stretch said inner fabric liner inwardly into pressure tight supporting engagement on the surface of the arm, leg and body portions of a wearer of the suit, when the suit is worn during a predetermined reduction of atmospheric pressure surrounding the suit.

6. A pressure suit as set forth in claim 5 in which the outer fabric and inner liner are porous to provide porosity through the suit between the interior and exterior, between the adjacent expandable elongated tubular members when not expanded, whereby predetermined expansion of said adjacent tubular members toward each other by expansion of said gaseous fluid medium therein closes the space between the adjacent tubular members to interrupt the ventilation through the porosity of the outer and inner fabrics and form a heat barrier to automatically retard the escape of heat from a wearer of the suit when subjeoted to a predetermined reduction or absence of atmospheric pressure surrounding the exterior of said suit.

I. A pressure suit as set forth in claim 6 in which the suit opens longitudinally down the front thereof from the top to substantially the bottom of body portion and said expansible tubular members extend around the body portion between the edges of said front opening, and means securing the said edges of front opening together against separation. 8. A suit as set forth in claim 7 including a neck opening at the top of said body portion including means for securing an oxygen breathing helmet in said neck openmg.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,329,766 9/1943 Jacobsen 128-402 X 3,345,641 10/1967 Jennings 128-2.1

I FOREIGN PATENTS 25,945 1913 Great Britain. 957,688 5/ 1964- Great Britain. 992,764 5/ 1965 Great Britain.

HERBERT F. ROSS, Primary Examiner. 

